The Basics of Great Leadership

Vital Germaine Keynote - Standing Ovation for Office Dynamics Conference

Regardless of your position or title, we are all leaders. We all influence and impact our company’s culture simply in the way we behave and show up. Great leaders learn from others and are inspired by other leaders, however, don’t rely on others to drive your behavior and decisions. Be a leader by example at all times, regardless of pay or position.

Here ar e a few basic tools to help you become a great leader.

1. Emotional Intelligence:

   Be aware of your behavior and choices and how they create ripple affects among your team and culture. Through awareness it becomes easier to adapt and fine-tune our behavior, leading to growth and improvement. Be particularly aware of how you make others feel. Video

2. Caring:

   Any leader that clearly communicates that they care for the well-being of their colleagues and/or team becomes a high-value person (read my book, Pink Is The Color of Empathy)

3. Listening:

   Listening with an open, caring and understanding ear or heart is one of the most empowering things a leader can do as a leader.

   “To be an effective leader, you have to be a really good listener and not to what's being said, but to what's not being said. You have to be really observant.” - Kobi Bryant

4. Adaptability

   The ability to pivot and change course when needed is key to human survival, let alone leadership. How flexible are you? Do you have an innovation mindset that can navigate challenges with poise and confidence. Read the book, Innovation Mindset.

5. Inspiration

   “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams (6th President of the United States)

6. Collaboration:

   Short video

7. Communication:

   To begin your journey into becoming a great leader, know that communication skills are crucial. Let’s begin with the acronym H.A.I.L from Julien Treasure (Ted Talk). Implement these four pillars of effective and confident communication and so much will improve.

   - Honesty

   - Authenticity

   - Integrity

   - Love (respect/caring)

1. Bring it all together

Vital Germaine is Las Vegas’ most dynamic and memorable keynote speaker. Watch his sizzle reel:

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary, is that little extra.”

— Jimmy Johnson

Vital Germaine, President of ENGAGE Teams 360

Employee Development versus Employee Performance _ which should you invest in more?

Most companies and organizations focus on employee training as a means to elevate performance. At ENGAGE Teams 360, we deliver a double win by training for development rather than performance.

What's the difference and what's your ROI?

There are two principals to understand that when implemented deliver totally different results. If you want better results, read on.

1. PERFORMANCE PRINCIPAL

When leadership predominately focuses on numbers/profits, efficiency and productivity, they get short-term gains. The immediate results appear beneficial. Over time, however, productivity dwindles. Turn-over increases. Disengagement becomes a cultural pandemic and by the time it’s felt or identified, it’s too late. The fix will cost so much time, effort and resources. As a result, your organization may have alienated a large chunk of your client base. Winning back customers is simply too costly. Why would you risk losing them in the first place? Because you’re too focused on employee performance.

Investing purely for performance is short-sighted leadership. The great leaders are aware of this. They avoid it, if not negate it as a part of their cultural and business identity.

If policy and SOPs (standard operation procedures) are what drives your company, you may want to reconsider. You can’t legislate caring, desire or motivation. You can only INSPIRE it. Policy and SOPs are definitely needed as a launching pad from which to fly, however, a launching pad pointed in the wrong direction with the wrong fuel won’t reach, let alone hit the target. Your foundation needs to be adaptable, malleable and emotionally aware of what your team feels, needs, desires and expects.

If you deny the human aspect of business, you are doomed to fail. Employees are humans… sentient beings. So then what?

2. DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPAL

The real leadership flex is Investing in your employees as individuals, each with their unique set of expectations and aspirations. What’s THIER WHY? Those individuals come together to form a team.

Investing in development says you care about them as individuals rather than commodities. Most cultures are not designed to recognize this aspect of leadership and business. They get lost in the short-term vision of higher profits and increased efficiency. And that is the major faux-pas that is so common, it’s accepted as THE way to build a company. Money is never the real carrot. When companies focus on numbers, it inspires disengagement amongst their employees. Employee disengagement costs the US economy upwards of $500 Billion according to Gallup.

Remember, employees are human. They have intrinsic emotions such as the desire to feel valued, appreciated, respected, seen, heard and understood. They want to know you care about THEM: their dreams, aspirations, purpose, fears, triggers, paint-points. They don’t want to feel like meaningless pawns or robots who’s only function is to produce and produce and produce. “What’s in it for me?” they ask themselves. A paycheck? For most employees, the paycheck doesn’t validate the workload, stress and disrespect they face from bad managers and disgruntled customers. This very fact is in big part the fuel behind the “Great Resignation.” Leadership has been too preoccupied with performance. They forgot about recognizing the HUMANS who deliver their products and/or services.

Investing in employees as individuals inevitably results in elevated performance. Engaged employees who are personally challenged and empowered, feel valued and cared for. Being valued and appreciated is the most simple and impactful way to inspire people to REACH HIGHER. The best way to communicate you care about your people is to have EMPATHY… the highest form of emotional intelligence, which means you are investing in THEM.

At ENGAGE Teams 360, we focus on development rather than performance. This is one of the great innovation MINDSET lessons I learned during my five years with Cirque du Soleil as an acrobat and team captain. Do a deep dive into the INNOVATION MINDSET, which includes this specific topic in my book.

Vital Germaine, President of ENGAGE Teams 360

The Cost of Poor Customer Service and Customer Experience

According to a survey done by Nuvi, “Most companies that offered a great experience saw an increase in the likelihood of their customer base showing loyalty-based behaviors from 15% to over 80%! That's a 4.5x increase! This is where revenue increase comes from.”

Be aware, however, this is about how each and every touch point along the customer journey with your business makes them FEEL. Considering that 90% of purchasing decisions are emotion based, it would be foolish to ignore how your customers feel about doing business with you.

You can have the four P’s of brand perfectly in place (Product, Process, Place and People), yet your customers may still experience a negative journey. Let’s first break down the key differences between Customer Service and Customer Experience. They overlap and often get confused.

In the book, Outside In, by Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine, they share a poignant FEDEX anecdote demonstrating the difference between Customer Experience and Customer Service. Here’ the short and simplified version.

On arriving at FEDEX, employees do everything right: warm welcome, friendly service, short wait times etc. HOWEVER. Packages are taken by the clerk, who places them immediately behind them amongst endless other packages, which employees affectionately refer to as the “leaning tower of rubble”. This tower of rubble, inspires a feeling of, “oh, my package is going to get lost midst the rubble,” in customers. Customers leave feeling anxious. They have had a negative experience despite FEDEX’s reputation and every single touch point being well executed.

The simple cost-effective fix was to place a screen with slits between the customers and the “conveyer belt”. From the outside, it appeared as though each package was being strategically sent to a very specific location, inspiring confidence in the customer that their package would not get lost and/or delayed. However, behind the new screen, lived the identical “leaning tower of rubble.” Perception is everything. In particular when it comes to building a strong brand that inspires customer loyalty.

The thing about Customer Service and Customer Experience is that both need to be consistent across all platforms of you business and the customer journey.

Read more about Customer Service.

Regarding Customer Experience (CX), it doesn’t have to be toxic or terrible to fail and negatively impact consumer loyalty. It’s sometimes as simple as one or two minor pain points that leave a slightly unpleasant taste. Most companies create a “decent” CX. They deliver what is expected and get away with it (for the most part).

80% of customers say that experience is just as important as a product or service.

Companies that are happy with “just ok” eventually lose their client base. By the time the executive team realizes the loss or downturn it’s too late and a costly fix. The company needs to heavily invest in employee training and begin the urgent process of change: re-evaluating company policy, culture and leadership. Many even go through a painstaking and costly rebrand as a result of negligence.

How to avoid these costly business pain points:

In our online communication course, we share many great customer service strategies, including conflict resolution… even better, how to avoid disgruntling customers.

The Diversity Gap. Why it's not closing.

Have diversity programs had an impact? The simple answer is, not really. But why, and what needs to happen instead?

Diversity and inclusion have helped in terms of social progression, but the platform only offers a meager consolation prize to the people it’s designed to elevated. It doesn’t remotely attempt to achieve the ultimate objective, which is harmony, acceptance, respect, recognition and the elevation of “social subgroups” who for too long have been alienated, marginalized and deemed as “inferior”.

According to the Harvard Business Review, diversity programs simply don’t work.

Why?

Inclusion doesn’t mean I have a voice. It means I am allowed to attend the party… but not enter the VIP area, let alone have a say in what kind of party, when and where it will be held, who is invited, what will be served and what the theme is or what the rules are. Inclusion isn’t empowerment. It’s a numbing agent to keep minorities celebrating a fake victory.

The ultimate prize is Equity and Representation. What’s the difference between Diversity and Inclusion versus Equity and Representation?

DIVERSITY: respecting individual differences

INCLUSION: experiencing a sense of belonging and feeling valued.

Neither of these 2 pillars are a solid foundation because they don’t address the real issue. They offer a form of consolation prize. “I respect you’re different, and I want you to feel valued… however, you can only climb the corporate ladder to a position of management. You can’t be the CEO or President… which means you’re not a part of the decision-making.”

EQUITY: this is about creating equal access to opportunity. This is currently not in effect due to intentionally designed systems that established the foundation of this country. Opportunity has increased since the Civil Rights’ movement, but it’s far from EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

REPRESENTATION: each faction of society has a voice and a say.

Case in point.

Imagine if the SCOTUS was made up of a majority of gay black women? How would legislation and the interpretation of laws be different than to what they are now? For one, gay marriage would never be a talking point but rather a standard constitutional right like it is for “traditional” marriages. That’s what representation does. That thought may scare many of you... change and innovation are indeed scary, yet inevitable. Without equity and representation, it’s just a consolation prize. Time to bridge the gap and reach the mountain top. I think Martin Luther King would agree. Further more, I truly believe that American can, should and wants to do better than it is.

The question now becomes, do you want to help pave that path and be a part of the change, because it’s not a race thing, or a gay thing, or culture thing… it’s a human thing.

The other beautiful and meaningful aspect of equity and representation is how it will inspire the next generation to reach higher. Great leaders inspire others to reach higher. In fact, my favorite leadership quote is by John Quincy Adams (6th President of the US), said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.

Vital Germaine

Leveraging your fear to fuel achievement

It has been said the we either run away from pain or we run towards pleasure. It’s called the “Pain, pleasure principal.” by Sigmund Freud.

Running toward pleasure is easier, though running away from pain is arguably a stronger motivator. It can, however, paralyze. We are afraid of pain. It brings worry and stress. Meanwhile, it inspires courage and action… change!

Many memes and acronyms claim or suggest that fear is not real. One popular one is: False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is very… read more:

Vital Germaine

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The 5 Pillars of a Powerful Presentation

A good presentation comes in many forms and on different platforms: keynotes, employee meeting, trainings, sales presentations or even a 15 second elevator pitch. Regardless of the format, there are principals to honor that invite and enable successful outcomes. Win, win for all.

1. BE INFORMATIVE: Provide value by being knowledgeable about the content. Be well prepared in the delivery of that content by eliminating irrelevant jargon and stories, and getting facts correct (research).

2. INSPIRE: There is more power in designing a presentation that will inspire people rather than one that is aimed at influencing people. Influencing tends to suggest a desired outcome that you wish for, rather than making it all about your audience. The art is in giving them a launching pad the compels them to take action because it is purely in their interest and not yours. READ my “Inspire versus Influence” blog.

3. ENTERTAIN and ENGAGE: Most of us have experienced death by powerpoint. Regardless of the richness of information, boring your audience to death shows lack of respect for them. Honor their time by being concise; keep it moving at an enthusiastic pace, offering strategic pauses for reflection and punctuation. Adding a hint of humor is always good. Oh, I almost forgot, make it interactive and experiential (see #4). In other words, add variety in the ways you present, teach and inform. It should be a little fun, a little mysterious and definitely energizing.

4. CHALLENGE: The cliche “comfort zone” comment comes to mind. Yes, push them out of their comfort zone, but not into their panic zone. Give them something to think about or savor over. Include them in the pursuit of the problem-solving process, or make them aware of an area of concern. They then become a part of the solution, and as a result of their contribution, they will be vested in the outcome of a project or the implementation of new strategy or policy.

5. BE LIKEABLE AND RELATABLE - Connect. Be kind, empathetic, approachable, vulnerable and most importantly, be honest/authentic.

To do a deeper dive into presentation skills and general communication prowess, take a look at my. Learn the 6 principals of effective communication.

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

TOP 10 WAYS TO STIMULATE CREATIVITY

The top 10 ways to stimulate or inspire imagination are as follows.

1. Spend time alone: solitude invites the mind to wonder.

2. Take time to do nothing: boredom triggers the mind.

3. Be curious: curiosity leads to exploration, exploration leads to discovery.

4. Allow your thoughts to roam free: get out of your head and don’t analyze or overthink.

5. Read fiction, play games, listen to music (classical and new age): synapses are stimulated.

6. Defy conformity: get that stick out of your ass and let your hair down… I dare you to fall off the edge with your thoughts and desires.

7. Negate reasoning and logic: they are both overrated and inprisoning. Unlock your chains. Enjoy!

8. Connect with your inner child: that is your true super power… wheeeee!

9. Daydream: even do this at work. Tell your boss I said it’s ok and a great idea.

10. Express and share ideas: conversation is like oxygen to a fire… avoid naysayers and haters. They will only dull the flames of innovation.

Now that your imagination is empowered to run rampant, reel it in, add strategy, do some R&D, scrape your knees from the “failures” and adjust accordingly. Wash, rinse, repeat the creative mindset process! Enjoy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATIVITY IN THE BOOK, Innovation Mindset.

Vital Germaine

President of ENGAGEteams360

Vital is Las Vegas' most dynamic keynotes speaker and corporate trainer. His executive leadership experiences are designed to inspire extraordinary performance.

This leadership lesson blew my mind

An elderly woman meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?”

And the old woman says, “No”. Then the young man tells her he was his student, and the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers,

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“Ah, how good. Like me?” asks the old woman.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old woman, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells her the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it and I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the flight and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. Then you went to the class:

“This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.”

I didn't give it back because I didn't want to. Then you closed the door and told us all to get up and you were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found. But you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

So we did, and you went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said,

“Open your eyes. We have the watch.”

You didn't tell me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day my dignity was saved and I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor even scolded me or took me aside to give me a moral lesson. I received your message clearly.

And thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do. Do you remember this episode, professor?

And the professor answers,

“I remember the situation, the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket, but I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.”

This is the essence of teaching.

If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach."

Author unknown

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

PRESIDENT of ENGAGE Teams 360

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The most important success tip you need to know

Success is not a random act. So, what is it?

Success is a collection of well planned and executed steps that you commit to over extended periods of time. It can mean being knocked down multiple times… but getting back up no matter what. How many times you get back up is a choice only you can make and commit to.

What small and simple actions steps are you willing to commit to doing this week in order to reach higher; even if only an inch or two? 

While you are at it, remember that as a leader, “Your actions will inspire others to learn more, do more, dream more and become more.” - John Quincy Adams

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

PRESIDENT of ENGAGE Teams 360

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What's the toughest diversity hurdle?

The first and toughest hurdle to overcome along the journey of diversity, equity and inclusion is acknowledging that we all have conscious and unconscious biases. The line between racist and bias is dangerously unclear and relative. Either way, they are both learned. Which means they can be unlearned. Bias is not always harmful or detrimental, whereas racism always is. So, how do we begin to unlearn?

1. PAINFUL INTROSPECTION: It takes painful introspection, uncomfortable listening, and new actions or behaviors to understand one’s own flaws and obtuseness. Yep, it’s gonna hurt. You will feel shame and guilt, which will spark the desire to divert, deflect and deny reality. Most times we live in sincere denial of our warped perspectives; hence the term, unconscious bias. Just because there is a lack of awareness and intention, does not mean our unconscious bias is not harmful. It took me years of internal work to understand and acknowledge that in the past, I had sexist tendencies (unconscious and intentional). I denied it to myself for the longest time, because denying it meant I didn’t have to admit, let alone accept that I had been wrong and ignorant the whole time. Nobody likes that kind of guilt or shame trip. Shedding those layers of shame and guilt gave me clarity, wisdom and more confidence. It enabled me to become a better leader, friend, sibling; better human being. This heightened level of consciousness that we are all bias opens the door to true dialogue, learning, growth and change. 

2. EQUITY:  We have already been practicing diversity for a long time now in the workplace. Diversity has always been there, even through segregation. America is made up of diverse cultures. Leveraging the concept of diversity to open doors to more encompassing work environments has been helpful, but it’s not enough. We then added the concept of inclusion. Great! It’s still not enough. It is time to make EQUITY a standard and not a privilege. Equity means that not only is everybody invited to the table, it also means everybody is allowed to eat the same food. Further more, it means that your food is served on the same plate of opportunity as everybody else. Maybe most importantly, it means that you have a say on what’s on the menu, how it’s served and the overal design of the dining event… oh, let’s not forget that you get to smoke the cigars and drink the expensive cognac after dinner in the study with the good old boys. THAT is equity and it’s powerful. Through understanding, we can aspire to truly achieve the objective of EQUITY and have all voices represented and heard. For example: The Supreme Court should have a mandatory representation of diversity: black, native Indian, women, gay/transgender and so forth. That would change a lot right there.

3. GETTING DIRTY: Corporate programs help and are needed… but only if they allow for mud and grime. Please, checking a box serves no purpose, and will waste your business $$$$. Diversity programs must enable and incite getting dirty, raw, blatantly honest, uncomfortable and disruptive. It will mean elevated levels of listening and empathy. It will mean killing your ego at the door, redesigning law and policy, and implementing new strategies.

4. ACCOUNTABILITY: The next level in the equity equation, is… claiming ownership and becoming responsible and accountable for our mindsets, choices and actions. Though company culture is a team sport, each team has a coach or manager. There are also individuals on a team that can propel or hold back a championship run. The higher up the corporate food chain you are, the more impact you have on the mindsets, behaviors and choices of your employees; the culture and the brand.

5. OPTIMISM: I believe we have reached a very painful, yet hopeful time in American history. All players must board the anti-racist battle ship. Together, we must fight for victory and claim the bounty, TOGETHER. A pirate once said, “ You’re either was us, or against us.” - Savvy.

“Change is hard at the beginning. Messy in the middle. Gorgeous at the end.” - Robin Sharma. It will take a concerted effort to make the world a better place for our teams, our customers... and our children.

We’ve got this!

LEARN MORE about our other virtual leadership and culture trainings.

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

PRESIDENT of ENGAGE Teams 360

Top-Selling Author: BUY THE BOOKS

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